Gubernatorial candidate Tom Tancredo has now e-mailed his third fundraising pitch from Ted Nugent, an NRA board member who called President Obama a “subhuman mongrel” and is offering a free AR-15 to a donor.

Other Republicans might be leery that Nugent is turning off Hispanic, women and black voters with some of his controversial, X-rated quotes, but not Tancredo.

But the congressman admitted he gets asked plenty about why someone like Nugent is making appeals for his campaign.

“Every time somebody asks me about it, I alway say, ‘The thing about Ted Nugent that I like is he has given me the ability to say something that I have hardly ever before uttered in my life and that is the following — ‘” Tancredo said, but couldn’t finish his sentence he was laughing so hard.

Speaking to a national news outlet Monday, Gov. John Hickenlooper suggested gun-control groups stay away from Colorado and the recall effort of state Sen. Evie Hudak.

“Colorado is a state that people like to be themselves and solve their own problems,” Hickenlooper, a Democrat, told USA Today. “They don’t really like outside organizations meddling in their affairs, and maybe the NRA gets a pass on that.”

Hickenlooper added: “But (it is) probably not a bad idea” for groups like New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Mayors Against Illegal Guns — and other gun-control groups — to not be as active in the recall of Hudak.

“It is a political reality that voters tend not to like involvement from outsiders. Whether money is from liberal or conservative groups, the opposing side will generally try to portray outside money as ‘meddling,'” Eric Brown, Hickenlooper’s spokesman, said in a statement.

Shawn Mitchell, a Broomfield Republican who is representing Neville, said the person who is at fault is actually state Rep. Cheri Gerou, R-Evergreen, who filed the complaint against Neville — a notion that caused Gerou to shake her head in disbelief.

Mitchell said Gerou poked Neville in the chest and cursed him in the House lobby, which amounts to harassment and disorderly conduct.

“Rep. Gerou should realize that tempers flare and these kinds of clashes happen,” Mitchell said. “Mr. Neville doesn’t want to make a federal case out it, and Rep. Gerou should consider the same approach.”

A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday morning. Witnesses include lobbyists and sergeants at arms.

Senate President John Morse urged the faithful at a Democratic dinner to show up at the Capitol Monday to counteract the busloads of people he said the NRA would be shipping in to oppose gun legislation.

The Colorado Springs Democrat addressed the state party’s annual Jefferson Jackson Dinner held in Denver Saturday night, where he introduced the Democratic caucus.

“I can’t tell you how much the work we’ve been doing in the state has really ginned up folks who are opposed to us,” Morse said. “We’ve been getting an awful lot of ‘screw yous.’ I think now is the time for our senators to get some ‘thank yous.'”

Daniel Carey, the state liaison for the National Rifle Association, chats with Speaker Mark Ferrandino, D-Denver, while the House debated four control bills.

The state liaison for the National Rifle Association, Daniel Carey, has been a familiar face at the Capitol in recent days, but it was surprising to see him locked in such an earnest conversation with the House speaker one week ago as gun-control bills were being debated in the chamber.

Speaker Mark Ferrandino, D-Denver, said he had a cordial talk with Daniel Carey, although Ferrandino supports the bills and the NRA does not. Asked what they talked about, Ferrandino laughed and said, “Guns.”

The National Rifle Association has endorsed congressional candidate Joe Coors, saying the Golden Republican is “committed to protecting our Second Amendment freedoms and hunting heritage.”

The endorsement is from the NRA’s political victory fund, which does not automatically endorse the Republican in the race, said spokesman Andrew Arulanandam. In Colorado in 2010, the group endorsed two Democratic incumbents, Reps. John Salazar of Manassa, and Betsy Markey of Fort Collins, over their GOP challengers, Scott Tipton and Cory Gardner, respectively. Arulanandam said the incumbents had strong 2nd Amendment records.

The NRA doesn’t share that opinion of Coors’ opponent, Democrat Ed Perlmutter, who is seeking his fourth term in the 7th Congressional District.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.